In vitro diagnostics (IVD) allows labs to assist in the diagnosis of disease based on assays performed on patient fluid samples. IVD includes various types of analytical tests and assays related to patient diagnosis and therapy that can be performed by analysis of a liquid sample taken from a patient's bodily fluids, or abscesses. These assays are typically conducted with automated clinical chemistry analyzers (analyzers) onto which fluid containers, such as tubes or vials containing patient samples, have been loaded. The analyzer extracts a liquid sample from the vial and combines the sample with various reagent fluids (reagents) in special reaction cuvettes or tubes (referred to generally as reaction vessels).
In some conventional systems, reagents to be combined with samples are contained in wedge-shaped reagent containers (containers) held in storage areas, such as server rings. In these conventional systems, automated reagent probes are positioned within the reagent containers to perform various tasks, such as aspirating reagents from their respective reagent containers and sensing levels (e.g., capacitance level sensing) of reagents remaining in each of their respective reagent containers. Accurate alignment of the reagent containers may be needed, however, to ensure that the reagent probes are accurately positioned within the containers to perform their various tasks efficiently. In conventional systems, the reagent containers are manually loaded within the storage areas and the resulting initial alignment may not be accurate. Further, movement of the containers from their initial alignment positions may also cause the reagent probes to perform less efficiently and decrease system throughput.
In some conventional systems, evaporation tubes may be placed within the containers to reduce evaporation of the reagents. In these conventional systems, an operator must manually remove the bottle closure (e.g., open a container cap) and manually place the evaporation tubes in their containers, which increases operator workflow. Movement of the evaporation tubes within their respective containers may also cause the reagent probes to perform less efficiently, thereby decreasing system throughput.